Son begs for help to find the thief that killed his father in KCK carjacking

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A grieving son is begging the public for help after his 86-year-old father, loved by his family and community, was tragically killed.

Police in KCK are searching for the killer, accused of dragging an elderly man as he stole that man's pickup truck.

Frank Davila

The truck belonging to Frank Davila, 86, was recovered, unoccupied, by police on Wednesday afternoon at 36th and Agnes Avenue. Detectives are still searching for the person accused of causing his death, in which police say the grandfather was dragged to his death behind that truck.

Frankie Davila said his father died from a severe head trauma, after somehow getting caught on the Chevrolet truck. The younger Davila said his father continued to fight with his attacker -- a kind of resistance to be expected from a retired U.S. soldier.

"My dad went out in a blaze of glory the way he lived his life. He lived every day to its fullest," Frankie Davila said. "It's my father. We talk every day. He was my best friend. He was my best friend."

Police released a photo of a vehicle the suspect may now be driving, described as a white Infiniti with a black trunk lid.

Suspect vehicle seen in surveillance footage. Photo via KCK police.

Frankie Davila said his father was returning to his sister's house near Coy and Pacific on Wednesday morning, having taken his sister to breakfast. That's when someone wrestled the truck away from the 86-year old man. Frankie said his dad likely didn't see his attackers coming.

Frank Davila, a former bar owner who was known around KCK as "Frankie D," was known for his spunk and his generosity.

"He'd give you the shirt off his back. I know a lot of people say that, but anyone who knows Frankie D knows that. It's horrible," Frankie Davilla said on Wednesday morning.

Frankie D's neighbors can't believe he's gone. Security cameras at a gas station in the area show someone driving Davila's truck a short time after his death. Police recovered that truck around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, but it was unoccupied.

"He was a great guy," Yasmin Aguilera said.

Aguilera, 19, said she heard about the carjacking after seeing a report on FOX 4 News at 12 p.m. She never dreamed it was the friendly man who lived two doors down.

"Nobody deserves for that to happen to them, and for their family to be going through this. My condolences to them," Aguilera told FOX 4 News.

KCK police aren't saying if more than one person attacked the elderly man. If you can help them find his attackers, please contact KCKPD at 913-573-6000.